Christine Dwyer Hickey’s tenth literary work commences with a quote from Leonard Cohen, signifying a unique love story that will unfold in its pages. The quote encapsulates the essence of a restless love saga between two Irish immigrants battling their existence in London for forty years. However, Dwyer Hickey does not simply romanticise the experience, instead weaving in intense emotions like anger, shame, fear, and solitude.
The chronicle starts with Milly, a young runaway, in 1979, who finds solace in working and residing in a pub nestled in Clerkenwell. Whilst at work, she encounters a promising, yet gloomy, pugilist from a local boxing club. Known as Pip, this man is of mixed English and Irish ancestry and has a promising career as long as he doesn’t sacrifice his skills at the altar of alcohol. A looming shadow of T.S Eliot’s The Waste Land propels his anger-driven journey across London’s streets, with his latent potential following him. Their lives intertwine from this chance encounter, and while they seldom meet, they remain ever present in each other’s thoughts.
Dwyer Hickey’s personal experience working at a pub in the East End of London forms the basis for this novel. Armed with her own perspective as a foreigner, she vividly recreates the city with all its vibrant and throbbing vitality which is intricately woven into the tale. As the story traverses through the changing cultural and financial landscape of the city due to gentrification, every detail is meticulously illustrated. Thus, the city, with the passage of each decade, is reconstructed as a living and breathing entity rather than a mere backdrop.
Readers familiar with Dwyer Hickey’s extensive oeuvre will recognise her unflinching examination of the human condition’s complexity. Her newest work underscores this tradition, painting an intricate picture of a multifaceted relationship. Known for her realism, Dwyer Hickey does not pander to rosy endings. This commitment to truth marks her literature with a potency that is widely acknowledged. This sweeping narrative of two flawed individuals is no deviation from her norm. Following her acclaimed 2019 offering, The Narrow Land, she has produced a masterpiece filled with delicate subtleties and a deep sense of honesty. It’s hardly surprising it’s being touted as a firm favourite for literature awards in the coming year.